Journal-box.



C. W. SHERMAN.

JOURNAL BOX.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII UIU] 5, 1911. 1,007,899, Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

- 4 SHEBTS-SH'EET 1.

C. W. SHERMAN.

JOURNAL BOX.

APPLICATION PILBD 1111155, 1911.

1,007,899, Patentea N0v.7, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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C. W. SHERMAN.

JOURNAL BOX.

APPLIOATION HLED JUNE s, 1911.

1,007,899.I Patented N0v.7, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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C. W. SHERMAN.

JOURNAL BOX.

APPLIUATION PILBD JUNB 5, 1911.

1,007,899, Patented NOV. '7, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

9 %I7*@H 9 .171171114 fio NaOH/'L mumLfe/ a? 71 771337165565 avy-HM WWW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLIFTON W. SI-IERIVIAN, OF BUFFALO, NEW-YOBK, ASSIGNOR TO PRATT & LETCHWORTH COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

JOURNAL-B OX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

v- Application filed .Tune 5, 1911. Serial No. 631,345.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIF'roN W. SHEE- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bufialo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements lin Journal-Boxes, of which t-he following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to a journal box for railway cars and more particuiarly to journal boxes of that type in which the lid is held in its closed position by spring pressure.

In some forms of journal boxes the spring mechanism designed to hold the lid yieldingly in its closed position is not entirely satisfactory inasmuch as the pressure of the springs is not effectively exerted against the lid during the last part of its closing movement which permits the lid to swing more or less into an open position and thus allows dust and dirt to reach the bearing surfaces of the journal and journal bearing and also permits the oil or waste to escape from the box or to dry out. Furthermore, the spring devices heretofore in use for this purpose were so designed that dust, dirt and rain could enter the spring pocket or chamber and thus interfere with the proper operation of the spring mechanism.

It is the object of this invention to provide a spring holding device for the lids of journal boxes which will hold the lid firmly in its closed position and which will effectually exclude dirt, dust and rain from the spring chambers and thus maintain the bearing surfaces of the journal and journal bearing in the highest state of efliciency and also prevent interference with the operation of the lid holding springs.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 41 sheets: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of journal box embodying my improved lid closing device. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical longitudinal sections in the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 2, the lid being represented in its closed position in Fig. 3 and in its open position in Fig. 4. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section in line 5-5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section in line 6-6, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the spring follower of the lid closing mechanism. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross section taken in line 8-8, Fig. 10 and showing a form of journal box and lid closing device embodying my mvention but differing slightly from that shown in Figs. l to 7. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary horizontal section in line 9-9, Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal section in line 10-10, Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the follower of the lid closing mechanism shown in Figs. 8 to 10.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several vlews.

In its general organization the journal box shown in Figs. 1 to G comprises a hollow body or box proper 1 having an opening 2 at its rear end through 'which the car journal projects into the body and an opening 3 at its front or outer end through which the bearing surfaces of the journal and journal bearing are accessible for inspection, repairs or supplying lubrication. On its upper side the body is provided with a single hinge lug 4 projecting upwardly from the central part of the top of the box adjacent to the front opening thereof. -A vertically swinging lid or cover 5 is adapted Vto close the front opening of the body and the same is provided at its upper edge with a pair of spaced hinge lugs 6 vvhich receive the hinge lug of the body between them. A horizontal hinge pin or pintlc 7 passes through coinciding openings in the hinge lugs of the body and the lid and pivotally connects these parts.

My improved lid closing mechanism designed to cooperate with the construction of journal box shown in Figs. 1-6 for holding the lid in its closed position is constructed as follows: 8, 8 represent two spring chambers or pockets formed in the upper side of the body on opposite sides of the hinge lug thereof and opening upwardly toward the underside of the hinge lugs of the lid. Each of these spring pockets terminates at its upper edge in a rectangular flange which projects above the top of the body of the journal box so as to form a straight transverse wall 9 on the rear side of the pocket and straight longitudinal walls 10, 11 on the inner and outer longitudinal sides thereof, as shown in Fig. 5. VVit-hin4 each of these pockets is arranged a spring 12 preferably of helical form which is seated at one end on the bottom of this pocket. Each of the hinged lugs of the lid is provided with a peripheral'face 13 which is substanor heel 15 between the concentric and flat faces of this hinged lug so that this lug operates as a cam in a manner to be presently described.

The pressure of the springsisbrought tobear against the underside of the periphery of the hinged lugs of the lid by means of a folloWer having two presser plates, heads or covers 16. each of Which extendsfover one of the spring pockets and bears on the underside of its front end against the upper end of the spring therein While the upper side of its front end beairs against the'underside of the periphery of the adjacent lid hinge lug, andl a connecting bair 17 airran'ged trans- Versely over the body of the boxin rear of the lug thereof and connect-ing the rear pa'rts of the'sprin-g covers o'r plates sot hait the folloWer as a Whole has substantially the` form of the letter U. Each of the springs 12 is held against lateral displacement relatively to the' folloWer' or presser plfa'te by means of st'uds 1-'91' projecting downwardly' from the underside of the respective presser plate and arranged With-in the' upp'er' end of the adj aeent spring;` j

rI`h'e rear parts of the heads or' presser platesl of the follower rest on their undersides upon the rear' Wall's of the spring' pocketsso that the" folllfoWer'` is fulcrumed on theE edges of these Walls' of the spring pocketsi and is capable of swinging' verticaflly as itc'hanges its position in following. the Cam-shaped p'ei-*ipherie's of the h'i'ngfed lugsf of the' lid.v The folloWer is held against' movement in fa' direction lengtlvise of the body of the box' by means of rear' stops* 18 formed by transverse fian'ges depending' from the rear edges of thepress'er' plafites: andV engaging With the rear' or outer'sides of the transverse' rear Walls of the spring poeket's, and front stops or retainin'gi lu'gs`- 20 one'y of Which projects downavafirdly from the u`n`- d'ersicl'e` of each presser' plate' and is adapted tot engage With the inner side of the' rear' Wallof one of the spring pocket-st Upon swinging' the lid upwardly into' its open position;- the' salient parts of the peripheries of the lu'gs thereof cause' the front ends of the` folloWer plates to be depresse'd the springs in` the pockets to be compressed, and While thus open, the lid is held in this position by fri'ctiona'l contact of the concentrieportions of its` hinged lugs With th'eispringi pressed bearing plates of the follower'. Upon depre'ssing the lidb intoA its Vclosed position the front ends of the bear'- ing plates' ofithe* folilovver Will' be held in en'- gagement With the corner's or heels 15 of the; hinged logs of the' lidand hold the' lid firmly in its closed' position, thereby preventing the entrance of dirt and grit into the body of the journal box. Upon thus movingthe lidy into its open' andV closed positions the follower' is prevented from4 moving lengthwise relatively to the body of the box j by means of the rear flanges and front lugs t20 thereon Which are arranged onr the front and rear sides respectively of the rear Walls of the* spring poek'ets. The follower is thus "compelled to fulcrum on the rear Walls of 'of its studs 19 engaging With the springs and partly by longitudinal stop' fl'anges 21, 22 arranged on the unders-id'e of each presser plate and extending' forWardl-y from the reafr flange 18 and engaging With the onter' sides of the' longitudinal walls of the acent springA pocket.

The front ends of the bearing plates of the` folfloWer extend underneath the hinge' lugs of th'e lid' While the longitudinal and rear edges of each of these plates extend` over" the longitudinal and rear transverse' Wallfs of the pockets. Transvers'e movement of the follower isv prevente'd by the' stop flanges 21, 22 engaging' With the out-er sides of' the longitudinal W'alls`` of the spring poekets land alsoE by engagernent of the inner' stops' 20" With the inner' sid'es` of the longitudinal Walls' of the spl-'ing p'ocltets,I aisv shown in Fig. 5'.

By' this arrangement and construction of the* folloiver' the' spring pockets' are' completel-y covered, thereby eX-cluding dust, dirt and? rain from these pockets and alv'oiding interference Wil-th the springs into the same, wher'eby the life of the latter is' prol'onged' and the efliciency thereof is maintained.

The' construction of' j ournalv box shown in F igs. l8, 9 and 10 is a r'e'versal of the constructions shown in Figs. 1 to 6, vizq: the body 23 of the journal box isA provided With two hinge lng's 24, 24, and the lid 15 is provid'ed centrall'y at its` upper end With' a single hinge lug 26!`v Which is arranged between the hingelugs of thebody` and pi-vota'lly connected thereWith by means of a horizontal h-ingfe pin or pifntle' 27. In applying' my improvements to this form of journal box' the u'p'per side of' thel body is' provided between the hin'g'e lugs thereof With a single spring pocket 28 Which opens'upwardly toward the hinge lug! of the lid. Within thisp'ocket and at opposite ends thereof. is arranged a pair of! helical springs 29 which rest at their lower* ends on the bottom of the pocket. Be-

tWeen the upper ends of the springs and the hinge lugs of the lid is arranged a folloWer or presser plate 30 Which is adapted to be depressed by the high concentric face 31 on the hinge lug of the lid and permitted to rise under the action of the springs 29 by the receding face 32 of the lid hinge lug. The folloWer extends rearwardly and laterally over the rear and side Walls of the spring pocket so as to exclude dust, dirt and rain therefrom and longitudinal movement of this folloWer is prevented by means of a doWnWardly projecting transverse stop fiange 33 formed thereon and engaging With the outer side of the rear Wall of the spring pocket, and a pair of stops or retaining lugs 34 projecting doWnWardly from the underside of the folloWer and adapted to engage With the inner side of the rear Wall of thel pocket. By this means the folloWer is compelled to turn on said rear Wall as a fulcrum and the lid is held reliably in position for causing the folloWer to bear effectively against the corner of the lid hinge lug and hold the lid reliably in its closed position.

In both forms of journal boxes and lid holding devices shown in Figs. 1-11, the pressure plates or folloWers are held against longitudinal movement and are fulcrumed-on the rear Walls of the spring pockets so that the springs exert their full pressure atall times on the hinge lugs of the lid, particularly When the same is closed, thereby preventing lost motion between the lid and the spring closing device and avoiding the objectionable results Which otherwise Would occur.

I claim as my invention:

1. A journal box comprising a body provided With a hinge lug and a pocket adjacent to said lug, a lid having a hinge lug Which is pivotally connected With the hinge lug of the body and Which has a cam-shaped V periphery, a presser plate engaging With the periphery of the hinge of the lid and pivotally supported on one edge of the spring pocket, and a spring arranged Within the spring pocket and bearing against the free end of said plate. v

2. A journal box comprising a body provided With a hinge lug and a pocket adjacent to said lug, a lid having a hinge lug Which is pivotally connected With the hinge lug of the body and Which has a cam-shaped periphery, a presser plate engaging With the periphery of the hinge of the lid and the rear edge of said pocket and provided with a Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

flange engaging the outer side of the rear Wall of said pocket and a spring arranged in said pocket and engaging With said plate.

3. A journal box comprising a body provided 'With a hinge lug and a pocket adj acent to said lug, a lid having a hinge lug Which is pivotally connected With the hinge lug of the body and Which has a cam-shaped periphery, a presser plate engaging With the periphery of the hinge of the lid and the rear edge of said pocket and provided With a flange engaging the outer side of the rear Wall of said pocket and With fianges engaging the outer sides of the side Walls of said pocket and a spring arranged in said pocket and engaging With said plate.

4. A journal box comprising a body provided With a hinge lug and a pocket adjacent to said lug, a lid having a hinge lug Which is pivotally connected With the hinge lug of the body and Which has a cam-shaped periphery, a presser plate engaging With the periphery'of the hinge of the lid and the rear edge of said pocket and provided With a flange engaging the outer side of the rear Wall of said pocket, and With a depending lug engaging the inner side of the rear Wall of said pocket, and a spring arranged in said pocket and engaging With said plate.

5. A journal box comprising a body provided on its upper side With a hinge lug and on opposite sides of said lug With spring pockets each of Which opens upwardly and is provided With a transverse rear Wall and longitudinal inner and outer Walls, a lid provided at its upper end With a pair of hinge lugs arranged on opposite sides of the hinge lug of the body and each lug of the lid having its periphery constructed to form a cam, a follower having tWo presser plates bearing at their front ends against the underside of the peripheries of said lid hinge lugs While their rear ends rest pivotally on the rear Walls of said pockets, depending projections arranged on the presser plates in front and in rear of said rear Walls of the pockets and a cross bar connecting said plates, and springs arranged in said pockets and bearing against the underside of said plates at the front ends thereof.

Witness my hand this 31st day of May 1911.

CLIFTON W. SHERMAN.

Witnesses:

B. V. PAPWoR'rH, A. F. CHATMAN.

Washington, I). C. 

